A Beginner's Ukulele Resource Kit

Oh, hell yeahs I’m nerd enough to think an AT-AT...

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:11:40 -0400

Oh, hell yeahs I’m nerd enough to think an AT-AT “Walker” uke would be kinda awesome. (give yourself +4 points if you knew that’s an acronym of All Terrain Armored Transport, and an extra point if you made any sound effects whatsoever)

(via The Ukulele Blog: Film-inspired Designer Ukuleles)

Wow, a sexed-up Coppertone girl! I refer to the ukulele, of...

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:00:25 -0400

Wow, a sexed-up Coppertone girl! I refer to the ukulele, of course.

(via retrogasm)

The Singing Professor [Walter] Smith doesn’t just create...

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:23:39 -0400

The Singing Professor

[Walter] Smith doesn’t just create sound waves from the strings of his [baritone] ukulele, he’s an expert on the physics behind them. The textbook he authored in 2010 - Waves and Oscillations: A Prelude to Quantum Mechanics - begins with this quote: “All around us, sinusoidal waves astound us!”

Why not? Schoolhouse Rocks was awesome (remember “Conjunction Junction” and “I’m Just a Bill”?)

I’ve a friend who has her adult ESL (English as a Second Language) students sing along as she accompanies them on her ukulele. Then again, I’ve a Chinese friend whose “conversational English” class in Vancouver, BC apparently consisted of watching Jackass II.

(via Philly.com)

“Ukes on Loan”: Portland (Maine) Public Library now...

Sat, 11 May 2013 14:09:22 -0400

“Ukes on Loan”: Portland (Maine) Public Library now offering ukuleles

CuriousCity, a small consultancy that finds creative ways of promoting books & authors, teamed up with the local public library to make these clever kits available: patrons may checkout a uke bag in which they’ll find the uke, “how to play” DVD, and a YA book with a music theme. Fantastic, win-win!

(via The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram)

Retro pin-up doodler Sibylline’s homage to “Some...

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:48:32 -0500

Retro pin-up doodler Sibylline’s homage to “Some Like It Hot” and McFly’s “Love Is Easy” video.

(via SibyllineSketchBlog)

Catch the Sweet Hollywaiians with Janet Klein and Her Parlor...

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 10:32:00 -0400

Catch the Sweet Hollywaiians with Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys this Sunday, October 21st at 7:30PM at the Old Town Music Hall (home of the Mighty Wurlitzer) in El Segundo, California.

This is a rare opportunity to hear The Sweet Hollywaiians who are based in Osaka, Japan…

… originally street musicians with a shared common passion of Hawaiian, Swing, Ragtime, Blues, Calypso and Italian of the 1920s~1930s string band tradition, collecting the music of long forgotten legends like Sol Hoopii, King Bennie Nawahi, Roy Smeck and Eddie Lang.

Psst: the stately Old Town Music Hall is also screening The Bride of Frankenstein this and tomorrow afternoons, 2:30.

(earlier post)

(via TikiCentral)

Portable “Ukulele School Kits”…...

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:09:39 -0400

Portable “Ukulele School Kits”… Stupendous!

This ‘lil box packs in 10 ukuleles, a magnetic chord fingering chart board, a circle of fifths chart, and tuners. Eveline Ketterings and Marcel van der Zwet offer this as an inexpensive means of getting music education — and ukes — into the classroom (kits are available for rent or purchase). (excuse awkward Dutch translation):

Fewer and fewer schools are teaching music and this is unfortunate because research shows that music is not only good for the development of motor skills and intelligence, but making music together also strengthens children’s social skills.

(via Ukulele Lovers/The Original Ukulele Club of Rotterdam)

Burning Uke Festival poster by Michele Vanparys Spot-on lovely...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:55:08 -0400

Burning Uke Festival poster by Michele Vanparys

Spot-on lovely work promoting the recently passed Burning Uke in Gent, Belgium (August 25) (artist’s blog and portfolio)

…a ukulele festival for the Gent-ry, with plenty of live music, rarities, open mic, raffle, market en much much more.

(via ShellyRickey)

Cliff Edwards sings “If I Had You” (download chords...

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 11:38:53 -0400

Cliff Edwards sings “If I Had You” (download chords here). While Ukulele Ike’s version is my favorite, there’s some dandy covers out there: ukulele & clarinet, Nellie McKay’s cover, and even this mix of uke and iPad band.

Ghostly Jack-o’-Lantern Ukuleleist Sketch ‘Tis the season!...

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:01:48 -0400

Ghostly Jack-o’-Lantern Ukuleleist Sketch

‘Tis the season! Idled away a pleasant afternoon sipping Jones coffee(s!!!!) and iPad-doodling Halloween songbook covers. First up is just this simple Jack-o’-lantern ghostie fan strumming her ukulele (sidebar: shortly after moving to the States a friend’s son excitedly carved his first pumpkin, only to tearfully learn that we don’t actually wear them like this).

(via Pizza By The Slice)

Vampire ‘n Uke Bat Sketch …a quite friendly vampire...

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:00:43 -0400

Vampire ‘n Uke Bat Sketch

…a quite friendly vampire summons his bat-ukulele pal (yeah, revisiting last year’s vampire bat uke illustration). Big thanks, of course, to Ludlow for suggesting the moon and wing tips (even the name’s fitting — but of course a vampire would wear ‘em).

(via Pizza By The Slice)

14th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival It’s that time of...

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:29:00 -0400

14th Annual Eagle Rock Music Festival

It’s that time of year! Saturday, October 6th, 2PM - 11PM! Come out, walk the boulevard, snack (+ food trucks), listen to over 70 bands & DJ’s — and especially don’t miss Ukulele Orchestra of the Western Hemisphere, on the Family Stage at 6:30PM.

One Swell Illustrator: This is my Honeybell ukulele. It was...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:25:06 -0400

One Swell Illustrator:

This is my Honeybell ukulele. It was made by Douglas Montgomery at the Guitar Factory in Orlando, Florida. These are labels I made for the Guitar Factory to put in the ukuleles. Do you have a ukulele?

Being a bit of a bookplate fan I’ve often wondered why folks don’t put them in ukuleles, so seeing Billy Davis’s pun-ny, retro labels might rekindle my efforts at designing one.

The Magnetic Fields’s Stephin Merritt Plays “Andrew...

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 08:10:48 -0400

The Magnetic Fields’s Stephin Merritt Plays “Andrew in Drag”

Stephin Merritt, founder and songwriter of unconventional American indie band the Magnetic Fields, visits the Guardian studio with his ukulele to perform a live version of his tragic love song Andrew in Drag. He tells how the song was forged from late evenings in the pub - and also the reaction in Germany to his playing a ukulele

Heard about this on Claremont’s mighty KSPC

(via The Guardian)

A-Ha’s “Take On Me”, Ukulele Cover Good as...

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 08:28:00 -0400

A-Ha’s “Take On Me”, Ukulele Cover

Good as Shiny and the Spoon’s take on A-Ha’s “Take On Me” is, it’s Raman Job’s ukulele cover (of their cover) that makes me crazy happy. The best part is that (finally!) there’s a version that I can kinda, sorta sing (my falsetto never worked, even when drunk, which didn’t stop my trying).

Four chords:
C G Am F

I’m reminded a bit of Frente’s down-tempo’ed “Bizarre Love Triangle”; love both song versions, with the alternate takes adding to that appreciation.

I’m definitely learning this one. This fella’s video post includes a link to PDF chords ‘n such.

(via thirteenarticle)

Isaac’s Lip-Dub Proposal! set to Bruno Mars’s “Marry...

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 15:38:00 -0400

Isaac’s Lip-Dub Proposal! set to Bruno Mars’s “Marry You”

Via meghanpcoleman:

This might be the most amazing proposal I have ever seen! It makes me want to move to Portland :)

Totally agree with Meghan’s comment (PDX is truly an awesome town). If this doesn’t lift you up, well, please check for a pulse.

Play along on your uke (only three chords!): F Gm Bb F :

F: 2 0 1 0
Gm: 0 2 3 1
Bb: 3 2 1 1

Bruno Mars is one talented performer whose success pleases me no end, chiefly because he’s so appreciative of his good fortune and is clearly having a blast — oh, and he’s a terrific entertainer. Doubters need only watch Bruno tackle any song this audience calls out — from “Eye of the Tiger” to some Tina Turner and Michael Jackson ditties.

You’ll also encounter “Marry You” for the ukulele in this alternate key: D Em G D

Acoustic Guitar Launches digital-only “Ukulele”...

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 11:57:00 -0400

iPad / mobile edition

desktop edition

Acoustic Guitar Launches digital-only “Ukulele” Magazine

You can grab the premier October 2012 edition, free online (you may also download it as PDF). It’s an ad heavy ‘zine, but does include some good content such as “uke basics”, a few songs, plus these features:

Uke for Guitarists Lesson
Shopping for a Uke Tips
Vintage Uke Gallery
Jake Shimabukuro interview

Not a whole lot new, but still lots of eye candy. Plus, the tips for guitarists should make it a helpful foray into our odd four stringed world.

Pictured above: iPad/Mobile edition (top), desktop version (bottom).

Rolling Coconuts, a free Japanese ukulele magazine. (no luck...

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:42:08 -0400

Rolling Coconuts, a free Japanese ukulele magazine. (no luck finding it here in LA)

Zack Rock’s “Mel Goate and the Purple...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:09:05 -0400

Zack Rock’s “Mel Goate and the Purple Tuxedo”

Lots of fine work-in-progress art plus daily sketches over on illustrator Zack Rock’s blog. And this children’s book about a uke playing, cardigan wearing goat… heckyeah!

Ian Whitcomb discusses and signs “Ukulele Heroes: The...

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 06:54:34 -0400

Ian Whitcomb discusses and signs “Ukulele Heroes: The Golden Age”

September 18, 2012 at 7:00 pm, at Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena, California

Taylor Swift wields one, Train made the Top Ten with “Hey, Soul Sister,” and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam made an entire album with just the four strings of a uke. But this isn’t the first time the tiny instrument has gotten so much attention. In Ukulele Heroes, Ian Whitcomb—a prestigious ukulele player in his own right—takes readers back to the instrument’s golden age and profiles the glorious individuals who made ukulele history. Featuring stage, screen, and recording stars who pioneered the uke, from Ukelele Ike to Tessie O’Shea, these profiled stars made the uke’s current resurgence possible.

(via Vroman’s Bookstore)